All About Us
by Shade Penn
Summary: Sequel to I Don't Like To Share. Max finally has enough of avoiding the subject, and decides to give Steel a chance.


Training had been difficult, like it started to be ever since the revelation about Steel's feelings. Max had continued to ignore the problem, eventually Steel had to give up, right? They had already briefly talked about it when Max confronted him, they didn't need to have another one. Everyone had noticed something was off about him and Steel though, and he felt bad about brushing them off, but the problem wasn't exactly something that could be so easily explained.

His robot partner had a crush on him, the _words_ were easy to form, but actually saying them would be harder.

_'I could tell them, I have nothing to be ashamed of.'_ Steel thought.

Max flushed as he sat down on his bed. _'It's not shame; it's more like I can't believe this happened.'_

_'I may be a highly advanced machine, but that doesn't mean I can't feel.'_ Steel retorted.

_'That was the strangest thing you've ever said, including admitting how you felt about me.'_ Max thought and turned on his side. He stared at his phone on the table beside his bed and thought of contacting Sydney, but a sharp hum from Steel drowned it out. "Okay, okay, you've annoyed it out of me, _what do you want?_ What's it going to take for you to quit with the humming and the facts?"

Steel stared at him, tilting to the side. "You know what I want."

Max sat up and faced Steel as he hovered by his closet. "I can't give you what you want, it could never work."

"Then let me show you how wrong you are." Steel said and Max stared at him. "I'm serious, what could be so bad about giving me a chance?"

"It could end badly and we'd end up in a much worse situation. "Max deadpanned.

Steel paused in thought. "Trouble does seem to follow you around." He commented and Max glared at him.

"Is it me or you?" he retorted.

"Right back at you." Steel said curtly.

Max narrowed his eyes and knew what he had to do, but he couldn't even pretend, Steel would know as soon as he tried. Nothing would ever really change between them, except make Steel even more difficult to work and begin to resent him for thinking he wasn't even willing to try. If he gave an honest effort, and it didn't work, would Steel accept that it wouldn't work finally? "Alright."

Steel perked up and rubbed his 'hands' together nervously as he moved forward. "You really mean it?" he narrowed his optic briefly before it brightened. "Why, of course you do! So where do you wanna go?"

There was an awkward pause before Max answered. "You offered, I thought you'd already know where to go."

"If I knew, then _you'd_ know." Steel answered smartly. He waved it away dismissively, but there was something almost bouncy in the way he floated around. "You can think about, I just said I'd _prove_ it to you after all."

Max crossed his arms and glared at Steel. "So it's like that, huh? You're gonna make me do the work, this is just like when we fight the monsters."

Steel glided over and ran a 'hand' patronizingly through Max's hair, who jerked to the side to avoid it. "What do you mean that _you_ do all the work? I at least do not charge head first into a fight."

"This isn't exactly making me think differently of you." Max said through gritted teeth.

Steel paused and he nodded reluctantly. "You're right, even if it's true."

Max rolled his eyes.

* * *

Max thought deciding where to go for their 'date' would be easy, but every time a suggestion flitted through his mind, Steel shot it down. _'The movies?'_ he suggested.

_'It would defeat the purpose of us bonding.'_ Steel retorted.

_'At my house? You can show yourself there.'_

_'That's not very romantic, and we can do that any time.'_

_'The beach?'_

_'What, and risk getting sand in my systems? Not a chance.'_

_'Sydney's house?'_ Max thought spitefully.

Steel wasn't amused. '_Don't even joke about that._'

Max rolled his eyes as he walked through the hall after his class ended. He decided to take a detour to the washroom before heading outside to eat his lunch. Once he'd finished in the stalls, having left his backpack where Steel was hiding in outside, he washed his hands and picked the bag up just as the door opened and Butch waltzed in.

"What are you looking, at McGrath?" The other boy questioned and narrowed his eyes.

Max blinked and straightened up, ignoring the low hiss that sounded through his mind. "You, I just find it amazing how you can walk and talk at the same time. It must be really difficult to do anything except throw a ball around."

"What'd you say?" Butch growled as he grabbed Max by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

Max continued to ignore Steel's angry hissing as his own thoughts raced at the close proximity.

_'That's it.' _ Steel thought before Butch abruptly let go of Max and reeled back.

"Something just poked me, what do you got in that bag, McGrath?" he asked and reached for it.

Max deftly dodged Butch as he made his way around him to the door. "You must have imagined it; the sharpest thing in this bag has got to be my textbook." He said awkwardly and rushed out of the room, his face contorting as he glanced down at Steel. _'You could have blown it for us.'_

_'That was too much like your dream, I was not about to let what happened next come true.'_ Steel thought crossing his 'arms.'

Max furrowed his brow. '_That was a dream, and it never would have happened.'_

_'You can never be too careful.'_ Steel thought.

_'This speaks well of how secure you are, if you're still jealous of a _dream_._' Max thought sarcastically.

_'It's not the dream, it's the fact he got closer than he did before.'_ Steel retorted.

'_Yes, and you almost got caught.'_ Max thought annoyed, but Steel brushed him off with the thoughts of 'details, details.' _'You've shot everything I've said down, why don't _you _pick if you think what I choose sucks.'_

_'That would defeat the purpose. You'll come up with something.'_ Steel replied and Max was starting to feel frustrated.

What could he pick that Steel wouldn't shoot down?


End file.
